2010 St Joseph Les Grisieres

We finished that tasting with the 2010 Saint Joseph Les Grisieres. Superb all around, it shows what this producer can do in a great vintage. Deep, rich and layered, with thrilling notes of black cherry, flowers, pepper and smoked meat, it flows onto the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, an energetic, lively texture and enough fine tannin to keep it drinking nicely for another decade. I had a fabulous visit with proprietor Andre Perret at his cellar located just north of Chavanay. Soft spoken, charming and generous, he runs an immaculate cellar and releases up to three Condrieus in a vintage. In addition to his whites, he fashions elegant, almost Burgundian-styled reds from Saint Joseph that warrant more attention. Importer: Europvin, www.europvin.com